Apparatus for broiling meat



Jan. 17, 1928.

c. w. CARTER ET AL APPARATUS FOR BROILING MEAT File N 4. 192a s Sheets-Sheet 1 I n ven'i'or-s 2 c. w. Carter 6 Nti'orh egs.

Jan. 17, 1928.

C. W. CARTER ET AL APPARATUS FOR BROILING MEAT Filed Nov. 4, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n ven fora.

n M w 86 +1 n wt 0.5M. H wP M n ac Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. CARTER, OF ROBBINSDALE, AND CHARLES P. STRITE, OF MINNEAPOLIS,

MINNESOTA; SAID STRITE ASSIGNOR 'I'O SAID CARTER.

APPARATUS FOR IBROILING' MEAT.

Our invention relates to apparatus for broiling meat. While intended more particularly for broilin bacon, the apparatus may be used for broi ing other meat cut into slices. An object is to provide a device of this character in which heat may be conveniently supplied to two broiling plates between .which the meat is placed. Another object is to provide two broiling plates which occupy W an inclined position during the broiling operation so that the grease and juices of the meat will drain off at the lower end.

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof, and the novel features of our inventive idea will be par-- ticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which our invention may be embodied,--

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the center line and showing the apparatus in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken beyond the center line and showing the apparatus in open position. Flg. 4 is a detail view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa detail view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view' in cross section on the line 66 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view showing a wiring diagram.

As shown in the drawings, we provide a support which is in the nature of a casing- 10 mounted on legs 12 at its four corners. The

front wall of the casing is inclined rearwardly and is considerably higher than the rear wall and these two walls are connected by an inclined top plate 14 whlch 18 at right angles to the two walls mentioned and, therefore, slopes from the front wall downwardly toward the rear wall. However, this top plate near its lower end is provided with a depression indicated at 16 which is adjacent the rear wall. The side walls of the casing toward the rear, end thereof are rovided with upward extensions, 18 throng which tubes 20 and 22 pass. Supported above the top plate 14 of the casing is a lower broiling plate 24 having a downwardly extending marginal flange 26. The plate 24 is held in place by the tubes 20 which pass through the side walls of. the casing and through the marginal flange 26, the latter at its front resting upon the casing. Hingedly support- 66 ed above the lower broiling plate 24 is an upper broiling plate 28 having an upwardly extending marginal flange 30 which at its upper end is turned inwardly to form a rim 32 which receives screws 34 for holding a cover plate 36 in place. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the rear end of the plate 28 has a curved extension and the side flanges are pro vided with openings which receive the tubes 22 so that the latter constitute trunnions upon which the upper broiling plate may swing. Carried by the cover plate 36 are two ribs 38 to the rear ends of which the upper end of a link 40 is pivotally attached. The lower end of this link is pivotally attached to one end of a bell crank lever 42 pivoted at 44 to the casing. The other end of the bell crank 42 is connected by a spring 46 with the front wall of the casing, the tendency of the spring being to swing the upper broiling plate into the position shown 1n Fig. 3. In order to cushion the upward movement of this broiling plate, one end of a rod 48 ispivotally attached by a pin 50 to the bell crank. The other end of the rod 48 carries a piston 52 which works in a cylinder 54 in order to constitute a dash 0t. The front end of the upper broiling p ate carries a handle 56 by means of which the plate may be pushed downwardly into closed position. Also at this end of the broiling plate is a pin 58 with which a hook arm 60 is adapted .to cooperate. The hook arm is secured to a rod 62 rotatably mounted in the casing '10. Secured to the rod 62 is a finger 64 the free end of which engages the periphcry of a disk 66 rotatably mounted on a pin 68 secured to an arm 70 which in turn is secured to a shaft 72. This shaft constitutes the winding shaft of a clockwork mechanism contained in a frame 74 secured to the inside of the front wall of the casing 10. The front end of the shaft 72 is. provided with a knob 76 and with a pointer 78, the latter cooperating with a scale 80 carried by the outside of the casing 10. Upon giving the knob 76 a partial rotation, the clockwork mechanism is wound and the shaft 72 will. gradually return to initial position. This" brings the disk 66 into the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the finger 64 is lifted and the hook arm 60 is disengaged from the pin 58. Th s action allows the spring 46 to nit the upper broiling plate into the position shown in ig. 3, the timing obviously being dependent upon the extent to which the knob 76 is electrical ener turned as indicated by the scale. Secured to the underside of the top member 14 of the casing is a fiber strip 82 which carries a bracket 84 to which an arm 86 is intermediately pivoted. The arm 86 has a downwardly extending projection 88 having front and rear inclined surfaces which converge so as to meet each other. A fiber roller 90 is adapted to run on these inclined surfaces and this roller is mounted at one end of an arm 92, the other end of which is pivoted to the bell crank 42 and the arm 92 being held up by a spring- 94 so that the roller 90 is kept in en agement with one or the other of the inclined surfaces. When the upper broiling plate is in lowered position as shown 7 in Fig. 2, the fiber roller 90 engages the rear inclined surface of the pro ection 88 and holds upwardly the front end of the arm 86 so that a carbon contact 96 carried thereby engages a carbon contact 98 carried by the fiber strip 82. When the upper broiling plate is lifted, the roller 90 engages the front inclined surface of the projection 88 so that the front end of the arm 86 isdepressed and the contacts 96 and 98 are separated as shown in Fig. 3. Electric heating means is provided for the upper and lower broiling plates and such heating means will now be described with reference particularly to Fig. 7. A wire 1 00 leads from any suitable source of to the contact 98, while a wire 102 leadsrom the contact 96 to the coils 1040f an n per heating element 106 and the coils 108 o a lower Heating element 110 and from the latter toa return wire 112. These heating elements are formed in well known manner and hence need not be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the heating element 106 is (placed above the upper broiling plate 28 an underneath a layer of insulatmg material 114 while the heating element 110 isplaced under the lower broiling plate 24 and above a layer of insulating material 116. From the w1rc.100, a branch wire 118 leads through a switch 120 to coils 122 of the upper heating element and coils 124 of the lower heating element and from the latter to a return wire 126 which is connected with the return wire 112. When the switch 120 is closed, current passes through the coils 122 and 124 in sufficient amount to keep the broiling plates warm but not in sufficient amount for broiling purposes. A tube 128 leads from the de ression 16 so as to conduct grease and julces from. the meat into a pan P placed underneath the casing.

The operation and advanta es of our in vention will now be'obvious. issuining that the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 3-, the bacon or other meat to be broiled is placed on the lower broiling plate. The

to a horizontal so that the grease mafy be s o t .operator turns the knob 76 to an extent dependent upon the desired timing as indicated by the scale. -He also depresses the handle 56 thereby bringing the upper broiling late down upon the meat and engages the ook arm with the in 58 whereby the upper broiling plate is held in closed position as shown m Fig. 2 with the contact 96 in engagement with the contact 98 so that current passes through the main heating coils 104 and 108 associated with the upper and lower broiling plates respectivel These coils as shown in Fig. 7 are of ne wire so as to offer suflicient resistance to produce the proper degree of heat for broiling. The auxiliary coils 122 and 124 are of coarse wire so that the broiling plates are merely kept warm when the upper broiling plate is in raised position. By confining the meat between two broiling plates, the tendency of the meat to curl up is prevented. -The curling tendency of bacon when broiled is particularly noticeable and is disadvantageous especially when the meat is to be used in making sandwiches. Furthermore, the meat is more uniformly broiled when it is kept flat than is the case when it is allowed to curl. By broiling the meat between opposed imperforate heat-radiating surfaces, it may be broiled at a lower temperature without the spattering of grease and without the production of smoke, thereby causing the meat to have a better flavor when broiled. When the meat has been broiled for the predetermined length of time, as determined by the setting of the timing device, the upper broiling plate is automatically released and swings into upward position and at the same time the contact 98 is moved away from engagement with the contact 98, thereby cutting off the current which is supplied through these two contacts.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of separable cooking plates cooperatively supported at an angle conducted away from both surface he meat during the cooking process, and means for ap lying substantially uniform heat to both 0 said plates.

2. An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of separable cooking plates cooperatively supported at an angle to a horizontal so that the grease ma be conducted away from both surfaces of the meat during the cooking rocess, said plates having substantially flat iieat radiating surfaces, means at the lower ends of said plates for catching the grease, and means for applying substantially uniform heat to both of said plates.

3. An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of separable cooking plates having opposed imperforate beat radiating surfaces cooperatively supported at an angle to a horizontal so that the grease may be conducted away from both surfaces of the meat during'the cooking process, electrical heating elements associated with each of said plates and protected from the grease by the opposed heat-radiating surfaces thereof, and means at the lower ends of said plates for catching the grease.

4. An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of separable cooking plates having substantially flat opposed imperforat-e heat-radiating surfaces cooperatively supportedat an acute angle to a horizontal whereby the meat will be frictionally retained on the lower plate and the grease will be conducted away from both surfaces of the meat during the cooking operation, electrical heating elements incorporated in each of said plates and protected-from the grease by the heatradiating surface of the cooperating plate, and a receptacle at the lower end of the lower plate for catching the grease.

An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of separable cooking plates cooperatively supported at an angle to a horizontal so that the greasefimay be conducted away from both surfaces of the meatiduring the cooking rocess, means for applying heat to each 0 said plates, and automatic means for causing separation of said plates at the termination of the cooking operation.

(3. An apparatus for broiling meat and whereby the meat will be frictionally retained on the lower plate and the grease may be conducted away from both surfacesv of the meat during the cooking operation, means for applying heat to said plates, and automatic meansfor automatically lifting the upper plate from cooperative relation with the lower plate at the termination of the cooking operation.

7. An apparatus for broiling meat and the like comprising a pair of cooking plat-es cooperatively supported at an angle to the horizontal so that the grease may be conducted away from both surfaces of the meat, during the cooking operation, means for applying heat to both of said plates, means tending to move the upper one of said plates into raised position, a holding device adapted to keep said plate in juxtaposition to the lower plate during the cooking operation,

and means at the lower ends of said plates for catching the grease. In testimony whereof signatures.

CLARENCE W. CARTER. CHARLES P. STRITE.

we hereunto affix our 

